Terri Schiavo's Last Day For Food

Tampa Tribune | October 15, 2003

[Autie]

PINELLAS PARK - Terri Schiavo's feeding tube is going to be removed today, and her parents fear they will not be allowed at her bedside when she dies. Bob and Mary Schindler had been warned by Schiavo's husband and legal guardian, Michael, that if they released a videotape of Terri Schiavo, their visitations with their daughter would be restricted.

The Schindlers released the tape Tuesday anyway, as they were surrounded by supporters carrying signs outside Hospice House Woodside, which is providing care for their daughter. Hours later, one of Michael Schiavo's attorneys, Deborah A. Bushnell, made that warning a reality.

Now, the Schindlers can't watch over their daughter as she slowly dies unless they are accompanied by her husband or someone who represents him, according to a letter from Bushnell to the Schindlers' attorney, Pat Anderson.

The back-and-forth is just the latest between the Schindlers of St. Petersburg, who want to keep their daughter alive, and their son-in-law of Clearwater, who doesn't believe his wife would want to exist in her current condition. Most physicians have said she has been in a persistent vegetative state since suffering unexplained heart failure 13 years ago that cut off oxygen to her brain.

The restrictions on visiting Terri Schiavo came at about the same time Anderson was coming to the conclusion that all legal appeals to block the tube's removal have been exhausted.

``We will try to have Mike or a representative there as much as possible after the feeding tube is removed, hopefully at all times,'' said Bushnell, Michael Schiavo's attorney.

``I told Pat we would accommodate the Schindlers to the extent that we can.''

Anderson voiced skepticism.

``I'd say it's likely Terri is going to die without her mother at her side. ... It's pretty heartless of Michael to do this.''

Bob and Mary Schindler, along with their son, Robert Schindler, tried visiting their daughter after Bushnell faxed her letter. They were turned away by one of the Pinellas Park police officers hired for security by the hospice as a precautionary measure.

Robert Schindler told WFLA, News Channel 8, ``Terri is going to die alone without her family.''

Anderson explained that all legal avenues have been exhausted.

The 2nd District Court of Appeal in Lakeland on Tuesday rejected two motions filed earlier. One asked the appeals court to reverse its decision denying ``swallowing therapy'' for Terri Schiavo.

The other motion that was denied asked that Circuit Judge George Greer be disqualified. Greer, on the strength of medical testimony, ruled therapy was unlikely to have any effect, and his rulings have been upheld.

On Tuesday, Anderson filed a motion with Greer. It asked, among other things, that Terri Schiavo be fed by mouth. But Greer denied that request, Anderson said.

``I've done everything in this case,'' Anderson said. ``I've turned over every rock.''

Stetson University College of Law Professor Mike Allen said it might take intervention from the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the order removing the feeding tube today, but that is highly unlikely. ``They've made a stop at every level of the state judiciary at least once,'' said Allen, who has been following the case closely.

The Schindlers now can only seek an emergency stay, either from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who handles the South, or from the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta - and neither of those is likely, Allen said.

Gov. Jeb Bush doesn't plan to intercede, either, although he has been sympathetic with those who want her kept alive.

``The governor does not have the authority to overrule a court's ruling,'' said Bush spokesman Jacob DiPietre. ``The governor has the responsibility to both ensure the laws of the state are faithfully executed, and give a voice to the citizens of the state. And he's done both, with a letter to the judge and the friend-of-the- court brief he filed.''

The videotape released by the Schindlers Tuesday was taken two years ago in defiance of an order by Greer that no more videotaping take place.

In the five-minute tape, Terri Schiavo, 39, makes a moaning noise as her mother coos affectionately the words, ``ma, ma,'' repeatedly within inches of her face. To the Schindlers, the tape is further evidence their daughter is ``a live human being,'' Bob Schindler said.

But Bob Schindler acknowledged the videotape was similar to one which has already been made available to the media. At Tuesday's news conference, the Schindlers also spoke of their daughter nearly falling out of her chair when a new-age healer told her over the phone if she didn't get up, she would die.

Bushnell said, if true, this, too, constituted another violation of a court order, because the Schindlers were told not to have their daughter undergo therapy without permission from the court.

Supervising the video release was Randall A. Terry, president of the Society for Truth and Justice, which he described as a Judeo-Christian pro-life and natural law group based in St. Augustine. Bob Schindler and Terry both said releasing the video violated Greer's old court order and that Schindler risked arrest on a charge of contempt of court.

``Obviously, all bets are off because her life is on the line,'' said Terry, who also founded the antiabortion group Operation Rescue.

The roughly two dozen sign- carrying supporters who served as a backdrop for the video release vowed to keep vigil as Terri Schiavo dies. Some protesters were right-to- life supporters, others anti-euthanasia and many Catholic.

Their number appeared to swell and lessen depending on how many news organizations were around.

Reporters Tom Krause and Rick Barry contributed to this report. Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 823-3303. Reporter Rod Challenger can be reached at (727) 536-8443.

[MinuteGal]

Petition signed, along with a strong comment for the Governor.

Leni

[Autie]

She received $750,000.00 from a malpractice suit in the early 90's and that was put into a fund specifically for her care. Her husband received I believe 350,000.00 for loss of companionship.

[JulieRNR21]

I have been told that it is critical that everyone sign the Petition....it may be Terri's last hope of survival......Julie

Please pass this on

---

I have just signed a petition to Governor Jeb Bush of Florida in the hopes that he will intervene in the case of Terri Schiavo, a disabled woman whose life is under fire in the Florida Courts.

I urge you to get involved and do the same. Please visit the web site published on Terri's behalf at

www.terrisfight.org and sign the petition.

We cannot let this terrible injustice to continue.

[Theodore R.]

Medicaid is paying for the hospice care. Schiavo had her declared an indigent. Yet, I assume he takes a tax deduction for her as a "dependent." There is Medicaid fraud that the state and U.S. governments have overlooked here.

[EggsAckley]

I recently went through the same with my mother. It's an experience that marks the brain and heart forever.

[texgal]

I signed several months ago and have forwarded it to everyone I know. Thanks for reminding me and I will blast out another email to my address book reminding them.

[NebraskaTrailrider]

I'm a nurse and have been following this horrible scene for the past 3 days. This is how I see it:

A few years ago Mr. Schiavo and his wife Terri were headed for divorce, so for some reason, he tried to kill her.

He was not sucessful in that attempt and so knew he had to keep her from EVER EVER being a witness to that. He painted his disguise intially as a loving caring hurt man and won some money for it then began to show his true murderous colors after he got the money. NO rehab, No therapy. Then he starts to do things to her in the care facility to finish the job, like injecting her with insulin. These attempts too, failed. So finally in his desperation to kill his handicapped wife, he hires a lawyer and judge to finally get the job done. PERIOD. and it worked. But there is a greater Judge, Who cannot be decieved Mr. Schiavo.

[NebraskaTrailrider]

So let's see

beating and stangling = didn't work

injecting her with insulin
and Lord only knows what else = didn't work

total neglect for her care = didn't work

hiring lawyer and judge to starve her = it finally worked.

[NebraskaTrailrider]

So let's see

beating and strangling = didn't work

injecting her with insulin
and Lord only knows what else = didn't work

total neglect for her care = didn't work

hiring lawyer and judge to starve her = it finally worked.

[bonfire]

Could you explain the "insulin"? I have never heard that before.

[JulieRNR21]

If you have not done so yet...please sign the petition here:

www.terrisfight.org


And please pass it on to everyone you can.

I have been told that this may be her best hope.

[NebraskaTrailrider]

Sorry for the double post!

I just thought of another way to put it

beat her
strangle her
poison her
neglect her
litigate her. Oh Man! how can a courtroom be so BLIND?????

dumb question huh?

[suzyq5558]

Who's next in this horrid travisty? are they going after people with cerbal palsey next? my son has this affliction he cannot speak but he his not a vegetable either. the old maybe? the infirm? many years ago i read a book by Francis Shaffer where he predicted this day would arrive and i scoffed at that, well im not scoffing now .iam afraid.
so many have no respect for the sactinty of life. look at what relativismn has wrought.
I also wonder if Terri's husband tried to kill her that night and thats why he's fought tooth and nail to have her tube removed? wouldnt want her telling what really happened to her that night. that man should be in jail. everything is turned upside down here.
i have prayed and will keep on praying for Terri.

[JamesA]

I am with ya there....They'd have to shoot me to keep me away.

[MHGinTN]

"But there is a greater Judge, Who cannot be decieved Mr. Schiavo." You and I know this to be true, but to a person like Michael Schiavo, the words hold no value, no weight, no meaning. Michael doesn't recognize a Creator and has chosen the path he prefers with himself at godhead. Sadly, there are others who fill the co-dependency positions for him, like Greer and Felos, and apparently the governor of Florida and the legislature of Florida who have placed their stamp of tacit approval upon this evil with their inaction, their feckless spectatorship during this ghoulish execution.

[StayoutdaBushesWay]

I just turned on Fox and on their scroll at the bottom, it says that she is comatose. It says she has been in a coma since 1990. Is she considered comatose? It doesn't look like it to me.